Spring bar



1946. R. H. KONIKOFYF 9 92 SPRING BAR Filed April 21, 1944 IN VEN TOR.

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' dZZorQq- Patented Jan. 1, 1946 SPRING BAR Robert H. Konikofl, Jackson Heights, N. Y., as-

s gnor to Hammel, Riglander & Co. Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 21, 1944, Serial No. 532,187

1 Claim.

This invention relates to spring bars of the character intended for use on wrist-watches to form anchorages for the wrist strap. As is well understood, these spring bars extend between the lugs on the wrist-watch case, and ar provided with spring-pressed studs or trunnions at their ends for entry into the aperture or holes in the watch case lugs. Due to the limited movement of these studs or trunnions, the spring bars of conventional construction must be made in a relatively large number of sizes to enable them to fit the various sizes of watch cases.

An object therefore, of the present invention, is to provide a spring bar having a relatively large capacity for expansion and contraction to watch and to the wrist strap by the merchant,-

manufacturer or jeweler.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown, Fig. 1 is a side view of the improved spring bar with the greater part of the same shown in section; Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the trunnions of the spring bar; Fig. 3 is a side view of the second trunnion or sleeve member, with a part broken away to disclose the hollow or tubular part of this element; Fig. 4 is a view looking to the left end of the trunnion shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The spring bar consists of only three main elements, namely, the sleeve-like outer member or trunnion I; the rod-like inner member or second trunnion 2, and the coil spring 8 which extends between and tends to normally spread the two trunnions apart. The member I is solid at the right end, as viewed in Fig. 1 and this solid end la. is formed with the stud 5 receivable in a watch-case lug aperture, the adjacent collar i, and the neck portion 3, all of these elements being integrally formed as a part of the member I. The member I, being hollow for a considerable part of its length, is thus provided with the bore 6, extending for a portion of its length, said bore containing the coil spring 8 having one end bearing against the end wall I, or inner end of the solid portion of the member I, and having its other end operative against the inner end of a head I3 integrally formed on the inner trunnion 2.

The trunnion 2 is of solid, rod-like formation, as clearly seen in Fig. 2, and is provided at one end with the stud 9 receivable in. the second hole in the watch-case lug. A collar I0 is formed adjacent to the stud 9, th purpose of which is to enable the finger-nail or an instrument, to engage the face I I and retract the trunnion 2 when it is desired to disengage the stud 9 from the watch-case aperture to free the spring bar from the watch.

Between the collar I0 and the head I3, which is also of collar-likeformation, is a lengthy shank portion I2 of greater length than the collar I0 or the head 13, and of less diameter than either of these two elements, said shank portion sliding freely through the entrance opening I6 to the bore 6. The opening I 6 is surrounded by the inturned annular flange I5 adapted to abut against the end I4 of the head I3 when the two telescoping parts I and 2 are separated to their greatest extent by the p'rsesure of the coil spring 8, as shown in Fig. 1.

The spring bar in its normal or inoperative position, is shown in Fig. 1, wherein the two telescoping parts I and 2 are separated to their greatest extent by the spring 8. Due to the fact that the solid, rod-like member 2 has the shank portion I2 of considerable length, it can be brought within the sleeve portion 6 of the member I to any extent required to regulate the efiective overall length of the spring bar to enable it to fit a great number of differently-sized watch-cases. The semi-solid nature of the outer member or sleeve I and the solid rod formation of the inner member 2 provides for strength and enables the spring bar to withstand strap pull. The assembly of the spring bar is very simple, due to the fact that all of its parts are relatively large, as com-,

pared to those employed in conventional types, and a minimum of parts are employed. In the assembly of the device, the spring 8 is dropped in place in the bore 6; the member 2 is inserted,

and then the flange I5 is inturned, the parts being held in their operative relations thereby.

To remove the spring bar from the watch, the finger nail or a small instrument is placed against the collar l0 and the trunnion 2 is retracted to an extent necessary to free its stud from the aperture in the watch-case lugl the sleeve for the greater part of its length to regulate the overall length of the spring bar, the rod having a head within the sleeve, an inturned flange on an end 01' the sleeve for limiting movement of the rod in on direction, a spring in the sleeve operative against the head for urging the rod in said direction, said spring bearing against the solid end of the sleeve, a stud integrally formed on the rod, and acollar'located adjacent 10 to the stud.

ROBERT H. KONIKOFF. 

